Tongs of many types have been used for lifting, carrying, and holding a large variety of objects. Many have comprised a pair of fingers connected together at one end and which could be moved, flexed, or otherwise biased toward one another for grasping an object. Generally, a resilient means is provided for biasing the fingers apart to release their grasp on an object. In some instances, the flexibility of the fingers permits moving them inwardly for grasping an object and for biasing them apart by removal of the flexing pressure thereon for releasing the object. In most cases, the tongs, including the fingers, are formed of metal, although bamboo fingers have been pivotally secured together to form modified chop sticks.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 61,051--Clark; 385,498--Brinton; 855,949--Hoffman; 3,115,360--Witkoff; 3,214,210--Keirn; and 3,4l4,310--Ono are illustrations of tongs of the foregoing types particularly adapted to holding small objects, such as articles of food. These generally have the disadvantage of being electrically conductive and consequently dangerous if used to remove toasts, English muffins, and the like from an electric toaster when it has not been disconnected from the source of electric power. Even with pop-up toasters, the toast or muffin often sticks in the sides of the toaster and some type of wedge often is used to dislodge the stuck toast or muffin from the toaster. Thus, it becomes essential, both for safety from electric shock and for preventing damage to the toaster, to turn off or disconnect the toaster before inserting a metal dislodging tool into the toaster. In addition, when a toast or muffin has thus become stuck in the toaster, it generally is over-browned or at least partially burned at one or more edges, thus requiring scraping off the burned parts. None of the present type tongs is adapted to provide these functions with ease and safety.